Ford Explorer Safety Ratings (2012-2026)
NHTSA has crash-tested the Ford Explorer across 14 model years from 2012 to 2026. Its overall safety rating averages 5 out of 5 stars, a top five-star result.
These are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings from its New Car Assessment Program. Each vehicle is scored on frontal crash, side crash, and rollover resistance, which combine into the overall star rating. The ratings use the tougher test methodology NHTSA adopted for 2011 and later, so they are not comparable to older results and are separate from the IIHS awards you may also see. Here is how the Ford Explorer scored by model year.
Ford Explorer NHTSA ratings by model year
| Year | Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2026 FORD EXPLORER GAS SUV N/A 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2026 | 2026 FORD EXPLORER GAS SUV N/A RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2026 | 2026 FORD EXPLORER HEV SUV HEV 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2026 | 2026 FORD EXPLORER HEV SUV HEV RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2025 | 2025 Ford Explorer HEV SUV 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2025 | 2025 Ford Explorer HEV SUV RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2025 | 2025 Ford Explorer SUV 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2025 | 2025 Ford Explorer SUV RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2024 | 2024 Ford Explorer HEV SUV 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2024 | 2024 Ford Explorer HEV SUV RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2024 | 2024 Ford Explorer SUV 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2024 | 2024 Ford Explorer SUV RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2023 | 2023 Ford Explorer HEV SUV 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2023 | 2023 Ford Explorer HEV SUV RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2023 | 2023 Ford Explorer SUV 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2023 | 2023 Ford Explorer SUV RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2021 | 2021 Ford Explorer HEV SUV 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2021 | 2021 Ford Explorer HEV SUV RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2021 | 2021 Ford Explorer SUV 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2021 | 2021 Ford Explorer SUV RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2020 | 2020 Ford Explorer HEV SUV 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2020 | 2020 Ford Explorer HEV SUV RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2020 | 2020 Ford Explorer SUV 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2020 | 2020 Ford Explorer SUV RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2019 | 2019 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2019 | 2019 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2018 | 2018 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2018 | 2018 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2017 | 2017 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2017 | 2017 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2016 | 2016 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2016 | 2016 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2015 | 2015 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2015 | 2015 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2014 | 2014 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2014 | 2014 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2013 | 2013 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2013 | 2013 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2012 | 2012 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV AWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2012 | 2012 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV FWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
How NHTSA's crash tests work
NHTSA scores three crash tests and combines them into the overall rating. The frontal test drives the vehicle into a fixed barrier at 35 mph to model a head-on collision. The side test hits the vehicle with a moving barrier and, separately, slams it sideways into a rigid pole, which is the type of crash that puts the most force on occupants. The rollover rating is part lab measurement of how top-heavy the vehicle is and part dynamic maneuver test. More stars is better in every case, with five the top mark.
What the ratings do not tell you
Two caveats are worth holding onto. Star ratings only compare vehicles of a similar size and weight, so a five-star small car and a five-star large SUV did not face the same physics, and the heavier vehicle generally protects its occupants better in a collision between the two. The ratings also come from standardized lab tests, which cannot capture every real-world crash. They are a strong, independent measure of crashworthiness, not a guarantee, and they are separate from both the IIHS awards and the recall record on this site. See the Ford Explorer recall history and its common owner problems for the rest of the safety picture.
Common questions about Ford Explorer safety
- Is the Ford Explorer a safe car?
- In NHTSA crash tests, the Ford Explorer averages 5 out of 5 stars overall across the 2012 to 2026 model years, a top five-star result. 38 of the 40 tested configurations earned the full five stars.
- What is the Ford Explorer crash test rating?
- The most recently rated Ford Explorer (2026) earned 5 out of 5 stars overall from NHTSA, with 5 stars in the frontal test, 5 in the side test, and 4 for rollover resistance.
- Are NHTSA stars the same as IIHS ratings?
- No. The star ratings here come from NHTSA's federal crash-test program. The IIHS is a separate insurance-industry group with its own tests and "Top Safety Pick" awards. Both are worth checking, and they do not always agree.
Ratings come from NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings program (model year 2011 and later). See the methodology and data sources for detail. This page is a reference, not legal or safety advice.